Suction dredging apparatus



' filed oct. 1s, 19s? 'May-"19,1970 glpi PRNI i 3,512,280

sucTIoN' DR'ED'GING APPARATUS 5 SheetsSheet 1 May19,;197o AAPER'NA l 3,512,280

sUoTIoN DREDGING APPARATUS .filed ont. 15, 1967 V 5 sheets-sheet z 5f rraeA/Ey 60 Z 17H I' I VvE/vra@ JAY/w55 mvg/Ewa f5 6% 5** Wc py l g,

May 19, 1970 v J. DIv PEQNA i 511011011 DREDc-ING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed oct. 13, 1961 Illia/,adi Y Y 3,512,280 SUCTION DREDGING APPARATUS James Di Perna, 85 Foxhill Terrace, Staten Island, N Y. 10305 Filed Oct. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 675,102 Int. Cl. E02f 3/ 94, 3/ 92 Us. ci. 37-57 z claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dredging apparatus on a iloating vessel having a bottom deck and prow, there being mounted on the bottom deck a suction pump and inlet pipe lines thereto adjacent to the prow, and below the water level. At least one dredging swing pipe is pivotally jointed to the pump inlet pipe line at the bottom deck level and at the prow of the vessel. Formed in the prow is a substantially vertical recess in which the swing pipe is received when raised into inoperative position. Secured to the swing pipe is a cover plate which completely closes the recess when the swing pipe is in raised position. A winch and derrick on the top deck of the vessel is cable connected to the free end 'of the swing pipe to manipulate the same. Carried at the free open end of the swing pipe is a nozzle within which is a rotatable toothed roller for crushing clods, rocks, etc., and extending forwardly of the nozzle is a ground engaging cutter blade.

This invention relates to a hydraulic dredge.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a floating vessel with a bulldozer dredging apparatus providing a vertically swinging boom which is a suction swing pipe and having a swivel joint connection to an inlet pipe of a suction pump, both the suction pump and the swivel joint connection being at the bottom deck level of the vessel below the water line.

Another object of this invention is to provide at the `free open end of the swing pipe a nozzle having a forwardly extending ground engaging cutter blade and within the nozzle a rotatable toothed roller for crushing clods, rocks, etc.

Yet another object of this invention is to form at the prow of the vessel a vertical recess for receiving the swing pipe when raised to its inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to ixedly mount on the swing pipe a closure plate for closing the recess when the swing pipe is raised to its inoperative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide derrick and winch apparatus on the vessel cable connected to the swing pipe to manipulated the same.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the external water pressure above the pump level to assist the suction pump in the water plus debris suction dredging thus requiring less power to operate the pump.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and 4annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vessel equipped with the dredging bulldozer of the invention.

ICC

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bow of the vessel showing the dredge boom swing pipe in raised inoperative position.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the vessel showing in dotted lines a pair of dredge boom swing pipes in lowered dredging position.

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view of the forward nozzle end of the dredge boom swing pipes.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dredge boom swing pipes with closure plates mounted thereon taken on line 5 5, FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bow portion of the vessel at the bottom deck thereof taken on line 6 6, FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 denotes a dredging vessel of any desired type having a hull 12. The hull 12 adjacent its prow 14 is provided with compartments 15, 16 having a oor or deck 18 located at the bottom of the hull. Compartment 15 directly at the prow of the hull is separated by a bulkhead 20 from compartment 16 in which is installed one or more suction pumps 22 and all the power and control apparatus (not shown) appurtenant thereto. As seen in FIG. 2, the pump 22 is mounted on the bottom deck 18 of the hull for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The forward wall of compartment 15 constituted the prow of the hull and is formed to provide two laterally spaced vertical suction pipe receiving recesses 24, 26, preferably equally spaced from the longitudinal medial vertical center plane of the dredging vessel, see FIG. 6.

The two suction pipe receiving recesses 24, 26 are identical and each is dened by opposed vertical side walls 28, 29 and a rear wall 30, which walls constitute an integral part of the hull structure. Suitably mounted in each of the recess side walls 28, 29 is a support bearing 32 each rotatively supporting one end of a swivel pipe 34. A swing pipe 36 having a flanged T structure 38 at its lower end is secured by its flanges 39 and bolts (not shown) to abutting flanges 40 at adjacent outer ends of swivel pipes 34. The support bearings 32 include a suitable packing structure (not shown) such as is well known in marine construction to prevent entry of water through the bearings into compartment 15. A pair of suction inlet pipes 42 are each connected at elbow joint ends 44 to the inner ends of swivel pipes 34 and serve to conduct the water and material dredged to the suction pumps 22. The elbow joint ends 44 are iixedly supported on the compartment deck 18 in any suitable manner. A bearing and packing construction 46 is provided at the free end of each elbow joint, each rotatively supporting therein an inner end of a swivel pipe 34.

The swing pipe 36 which is in effect a boom pivots about the axis of swivel pipe 34, and in its completely raised inoperative position, see FIG. 2, ts wholly within its recess 26 with its free terminal end carrying nozzle 48 projecting above the top deck 50. The recess 26 at its upper end is shaped to receive the nozzle 48. The nozzle 48, see FIG. 4, is ared to provide opposed side walls 51, 52. A multi-toothed roller 54 located within the nozzle 48 at the mouth thereof is rotatively supported on an axle 55 having its ends suitably xedly supported on the nozzle walls `51, 52. The nozzle 48 also includes an upper wall 57 and a lower wall 58 integrally joined to side walls 51, '52. The lower wall 58 extends forwardly of the toothed roller 54 and is provided at its forward edge with a removable blade 60 carrying digging claws or teeth 62.

At the inlet end to swing pipe 36 and rearwardly of toothed roller 54 within nozzle 48 there is provided a removable screen 64. Screens 64 function to prevent the entry of rocks and other debris into the swing pipes 36 during the dredging operation.

Mounted on the upper deck 50 adjacent the prow 14 is a power operated derrick 70 having a pivoted boom 72 and a power operated winch 74 for raising or lowering the boom 72 by means of cable 76. An additional power operated winch 78 through cable 80 operates to raise or lower the swing pipes 36. A yoke 82 is connected by links 83 to the swing pipes 36, see FIG. 3, andthe lower end of cable 80 is connected to the yoke 82 by a hook carrying cable yoke 84. Proper manipulation of the derrick boom 72 and cable 80 will effectively operate the swing pipes 36 in all positions for dredging.

Rigidly secured as by welds 88 to each dredging swing pipe 36 is a closure plate 90. The closure plates 90 are dimensioned to close the recess 26 for each swing pipe and are angularly related to the swing pipes and to each other as to conform with the sides of the hull 12 at the prow when the swing pipes are completely elevated to their inoperative position, see FIGS. 2 and 3.

The dredging swing pipes 36 are in side by side relationship at all times and function as the boom of a dredging bulldozer in the action of the toothed rollers 54 and toothed blades 60 in breaking up and crushing the soil, rocks, etc. dug up in its operation; such matter in water being then by suction drawn up into the swing pipes 36 to the suction pump inlet lines 42.

It is to be noted that by virtue of the fact that the suction pumps 22 are mounted on the bottom deck 18 of the hull at a considerable distance below the water line W, see FIG. 2, as well as the connection of the dredging swing pipes 36 to the inlet pipes 42 being also at the same level, that this will result in a greater eiliciency in the dredging operation requiring considerably less power. Due to the head of water above the level of the inlet pipes 42, the pressure thereof will add to the suction effect to more easily bring the water and dredged material to the pumps 22 thus requiring less power. Also due to the pivotal mounting of the swing pipes 36 at the level of the 'bottom deck 18 it becomes possible to dredge deeper at the bottom of the water with swing pipes of shorter length in contradistinction to what is present practice of having swing pipes of greater length pivotally jointed to pump inlet pipes mounted on the top deck of a vessel.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hydraulic dredge comprising:

(a) a floating vessel having a bottom deck positioned a substantial distance below the water level, a bow portion, a prow and a top deck,

(b) a suction pump mounted on the bottom deck,

(c) inlet pipe means interiorly of the vessel extending from the prow to the suction pump at the bottom deck level,

(d) a swing pipe boom adjacent to the prow movable from a lowermost forlwardly extending operative position to a raised inoperative position,

(e) swivel pipe means exteriorly of the vessel bow portion and at the bottom deck level connecting the rear end of the swing pipe boom to the inlet pipe means, and

(f) cable operated means on the vesseltop deck connected to the forward end of said swing pipe boom for manipulating the same,

said hydraulic dredge including:

(g) a recess extending inwardly of the hull of the 'vessel adjacent said prow,

(h) said recess having opposed vertical side walls and a rear wall,

(i) a bearing support collar and packing structure at the lower end of each side wallat theV bottom deck level disposed in opposed horizontal co-axial relation,

(j) said s'wivel pipe means being supported yat each end in a bearing support collar and extending .interiorly of the bow portion,

(k) said inlet pipe means constituting a pair of inlet pipes, `and (l) means at the inlet end of each inlet pipe receiving and rotatably supporting a projecting end of said swivel pipe means,

(m) a closure plate fixedly mounted on the swing pipe boom and coex'tensive' therewith,

(n) said closure plate in' the raised inoperative position of the swing pipe boom vserving to close said vertical recessV to protect said swing pipe boom against dam-age,

(o) a nozzle structure at the forward endv of said swing pipe boom, v

(p) a toothed roller within said nozzle'stru'cture, and

(q) a ground engaging cutter blade attached to and extending forwardly of said nozzle, Y, f

(r) said nozzle flares outwardly and includes a bottom wall, a top wall and opposed side walls, l

(s) an axle mounting said toothed roller thereon,

(t) said side walls each supporting an`fend of'said axle on a horizontal axis, and

(u) said ground engaging cutter blade beingV removably attached to said nozzle bottom wall,

whereby clods and/or rocks passing across said cutter blade are broken and crushed to facilitate their being carried upinto the swing pipe by the suction of the suction pump, (v) removable screen means lwithin said nozzle `rearwardly of said toothed roller,

(w) an additional second recess adjacent to and on the opposite side of the vessel prow and identical rwith said 4iirst mentioned recess,

(x) a second suction pump including a pair of inlet pipe means mounted on said bottom deck, (y) a second swing pipe boom within said second recess, (z) a second swivel pipe means rotatably supported at bottom deck level within said second recess and connected at its ends to adjacent ends of said second y inlet pipe means, l

(aa) means connecting the forward end of said second swing pipe boom to said cable means for simultaneous operation with said rst mentioned swing pipe boom, and

(bb) a nozzle including a toothed roller, screen and ground engaging cutter blade at the forward end of said second swing pipe boom,

4(cc) ka. closure plate xedly mounted on the'second swing pipe boom and coextensive therewith for closing said second Lrecess in the raised inoperative position of said second swing pipe boom, v (dd) the closure plates on both said swing pipe booms being angularly related to each other and to their associated booms suchV as to conform with the hull of the vessel in their closing position,

wherein said vessel bow portion includes:

(ee) a bulkhead dividing the borw portion into two compartments, Y

(if) the forward compartment adjacent, the prow containing the inlet pipe means and the inward projection thereinto of the walls of said tirst and second recesses, and

(gg) the other compartment containing said suction pumps.

2. The hydraulic dredge of claim 1, wherein: (a) said dual swing pipe booms and their associated nozzles are identical, (b) opposed side walls of each nozzle lying in substantial side by side relation With the toothed rollers co-axial, and

(c) each said recess at their upper end portions being shaped to accommodate the nozzle structure of the swing pipe boom located therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1963 France.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner Brainafl'd 37-67 Collins 37-66 XR 10 C. D. CROWDER, Assistant Examiner Titcornb 37-66 XR Bates 37 65 U.S. C1. XR. Lkievicz 37-66 37--66 

